Work Force Adjustment

If an opting member wishes to remain in the federal public service, the best option is Option A. Option A is the 12-month surplus period in which to secure a reasonable job offer.  

During this 12-month period, the member remains an employee and is provided meaningful work.  

During this time, their home department considers them a statutory priority. This means their home department will appoint them ahead of all others, with the exception of Canadian Armed Forces members. Meanwhile, another department considers an employee on the PSC Priority List as being a regulatory priority. An employee considered a regulatory priority is appointed after employees with a statutory priority, but in no relative order. Refer to Priority Types (section 1.2 of the Guide on Priority Entitlements) to see the order of appointment based on statutory priority and on regulatory priority.

If an opting employee accepts a GRJO during the 12-month surplus period and their salary is to a lower-level position, their salary is protected until appointed or deployed to a position with a maximum rate of pay equal to or higher than that of the surplus position. Additionally, they are considered a Reinstatement Priority for reappointment to a former level. If applicable, they may also be eligible for retraining.

If an opting employee does not find a GRJO after the 12-month surplus period, they will be laid off. The lay-off notice must be provided to them one month before the scheduled lay-off date.  

In this scenario, the employee discontinues working as of the resignation day and is considered to have been laid-off for purposes of severance pay entitlement. They maintain lay-off priority rights for appointment to positions in the Core Public Administration (CPA) for one year following the lay-off date. They would also be entitled to the following:

  • A pension waiver if they are between 55 and 59 years of age with at least 10 years of service;
  • Pay in lieu of the unfulfilled surplus period for a surplus employee who resigns before the end of the 12-month surplus period;
  • A lump-sum payment equal to the surplus regular pay for the remaining balance of the surplus period, up to a maximum of 6 months (the amount cannot exceed the maximum that would have been received under Option B).